Homemade Beauty Products: How to Make Your Own Aromatic and Deodorizing Body Powder.
This week we will focus on what to use instead of talc, which is a dangerous ingredient to use on your body (it can be irritating to the lungs and often times it has traces of arsenic in it), and a recipe on making your own “Lavender Body Powder”.
Talc is an inexpensive ingredient used in many body powders. Growing up I do remember using powders on baby’s bottoms and on my own body as well. The powder had a perfumed smell. Little did I know what I know now and it’s been many years since I have used a powder on my body. You may or may not use powder but it is an option to keep in mind. Sometimes you may want to use a bit to help keep the skin dry under your arms (and it helps with odor too), or you may like the softness it provides after a shower. As always, I always strive to achieve a natural approach in my beauty products, and it’s cheaper to make my own than to buy from a store.
Other excellent base powder choices to use alone or in combination in place of talc include:
- arrowroot powder
- baking soda
- chickpea flour
- corn flour
- cornstarch
- French green clay, finely ground
- oat flour
- powdered calendula blossoms
- powdered chamomile flowers
- powdered lavender buds
- powdered neem herb
- powdered rose petals
- rice flour
- white clay, finely ground
Of course there are no set rules and you can play around with these substituting and experimenting as you like.
Body Powder Gift Idea:
Herbal body powders make great gifts at Christmas or birthdays, Mother’s day, whenever. You can make one of the recipes that I’ll be sharing with you for the next month and just divide that recipe into three or four portions. You can find a decorative tin or jar (from home or from a craft’s store or wherever–maybe even a vintage jar of some kind, whatever your heart’s desire). You can even make your own container from cardboard or wood, paint it or stencil it, and add the powder to it as a gift. Make sure the container can hold 3/4 cup to 1 cup of powder. Don’t fill it up all the way….say about 2/3rds of the container so it won’t get all over anyone when they go to open it up. You can place a satin back puff or small, fuzzy fluff brush inside and top the container with a bow and personalized label.
LAVENDER POWDER RECIPE:
This recipe makes a light, lovely, old-fashioned, floral-scented body powder. It’s especially wonderful to use on baby girls; it leaves behind a sweet, delicate, feminine aroma.
1 cup arrowroot
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup white clay
1/2 cup lavender buds, finely powdered
1/2 cup rose petals, finely powdered
200 drops of lavender or geranium essential oil
RECOMMENDED FOR: all skin types
USE: as desired
PREP TIME: approximately 20 minutes, plus 3 days for fragrance to synergize
BLENDING TOOLS: large bowl and whisk or food processor, mortar and pestle
STORE IN: zip-seal plastic bag, wooden or cardboard box, tin, plastic or glass jar, or shaker container
YIELD: approximately 4 cups
Combine all ingredients except the essential oil in a large bowl or food processor. Stir slowly with a whisk or whirl in the food processor for 15 seconds until well blended. Using a mortar and pestle, combine the essential oil drop by drop with 6 or 7 tablespoons of the powder mix until the oil is absorbed. Add this oil mixture to the remaining powder and whisk the mixture slowly (to avoid making too much dust) or shake vigorously in a large container with a tight-fitting lid. If using a food processor, whirl for 15 seconds to blend.
Store the powder in an airtight storage container in a cool, dark place for 3 days to allow the scent of the essential oil and the flowers to permeate the mixture. Package the powder in smaller containers if desired.
No refrigeration is required, but for maximum fragrance and freshness, please use within one year.
APPLICATION TIPS: Apply as you would any body powder–by sprinkling or “puffing” over entire body or only certain areas.
Happy Powder Puffing! LOL!
A Body Powder Puff
This information and the recipe itself came from a book called, “Organic Body Care Recipes” by Stephanie Tourles. You can purchase this book on Amazon. I do not make any money on promoting this book. I am just sharing an awesome recipe from it.
